Bungie breaks down Destiny: Rise of Iron's new cooperative mode, weapons, and more

The cover story of this month's Game Informer blows the lid wide open on several changes and additions that will be made to Destiny when Bungie releases Rise of Iron on September 20 (via GameSpot). Highlights include weapons, a coop mode, and Felwinter Peak, a brand-new social space.

Felwinter Peak starts off in the group of enemies called Fallen Devil Splicers. You'll enter into a quest to reclaim it, and planting your flag in Felwinter soil opens up new terrain and vendors. "There are lots of secrets. There's this whole portion of Felwinter Peak that is normally locked, except during special events. There may be some secret ways to get back there," said Christopher Garrett, creative lead on Rise of Iron.

Venture out a little ways from Felwinter Peak, and you'll find the Plaguelands, a new zone teeming with Fallen Devil Splicers to fight and secrets to uncover. The Plaguelands doubles as your gateway into Rise of Iron's story, a five-mission run that centers on Lord Saladin and the Iron Lords. As a testament to Bungie's renewed focus on giving Destiny more narrative direction, expect plenty of cinematics digging into the story as well as a whole new array of quests once you wrap up the campaign.

After wrapping up the story, give Rise of Iron's cooperative mode a spin. It takes place in an arena called Archon's Forge and promotes collaboration: each round culminates in a boss fight that rewards you with gear.

Rise of Iron will make various mechanical tweaks to Destiny's formula. The Light cap has been increased to 385, with Light gear scaled accordingly. That cap will jump to 400 following the release of hard mode for the expansion's raid, due out a few weeks after Rise of Iron's launch on September 20.

In Bungie's interview with Game Informer, various developers spoke to how Rise of Iron represents the studio's evolution and plans for the future. The fan base's insatiable appetite for more content has forced them to respond quickly: an internal goal is to get the team to a place where they are able to publish more updates over the next couple of years.

Look for more details in Game Informer's cover story this month (already available if you have a digital subscription), and with Rise of Iron's impending release next month.

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.